Suspension-clamp for electric conductors.



No. 650,928. Patented June 5, I900. I. J. EROWLEY.

SUSPENSION CLAMP F08 ELECTB IQ CDNDUCTOBS. (Application medau'l a, 1899.) (No Model.)

77! ma fnvomar: V

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ISAAC J. CROWVLEY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

SUSPENSION-CLAMP FOR ELECTRIC CONDUCTORS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 650,928, dated June 5, 1900.

' Application filed July 8, 1899. Serial No. 723,152. (No model.)

To ctZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ISAAC J. CROWLEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ohicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new Suspension-Clam p, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has a wide application; but herein I intend to show an operative construction by drawings and description which relates to clamps that are attached to poles which support electrical conductors. It is the prevailing practice to fasten to these poles a strand made of a number of iron wires and to hang upon this strand electrical cables, which are generally incased in lead. Attached to the cables are clips having hooks, which are spaced short distances apart upon the strands and serve to support the cable.

My objects are, first, to provide a device for holding the strand securely in position at some little distance from the pole, and, second, to so contrive it that the hooks when the cable is being put in position may pass the clamp without disarrangement. I attain these objects by the devices illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a perspective view of the clamp, showing the strand in position and by a broken-line drawing the position of the cable clip and hook when they are passing the support. Fig. 2 is an elevation of the same device shown in Fig. 1 and in addition illustrates the method of fastening a clamp to-a pole. Fig. 3 is a vertical section through the line on n of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a vertical section of a modification of the strap 13 of Fig. 1.

Like letters refer to like parts throughout the several views.

A is the base, and A the outrigger, of the clamp.

a and a indicate the position of the seat in the outrigger.

B is a strap, preferably of wrought-iron, which passes around the outrigger A and clamps into position the strand E. b is a screw-thread cut on the ends of the strap B, the said ends being fastened together by the nut c. A dowel-pin 19 (shown in Fig. 3) serves to match the screw-threads cut on opposite 5o sides of the ends of the strap.

0 indicates in broken line the position of the cable while its supporting-clip D, with its attached hook, is passing the clamp.

ff are lag-screws which pass through the holes 9 g and serve to fasten the clamp to the pole K.

B, Fig. 4, is a modification of the strap B. (Shown in Figs. 1 and 2.) It is fastened and tightened around the strand E by the bolt h.

The process of hanging what are called aerial electrical cables is first to fasten the clips to the cable, then hang the cable to the strand by means of hooks which form a part of the clip, and draw the hooks along upon the strand until the cable is carried to its full length, the hooks being spaced equidistant, generally about two feet apart.

Until lately it has been the practice, and to a large extent this still prevails, to place upon each pole a lineman whose duty 'it is to transfer the hook by hand from one side to the other of the pole-clamp. With my device the services of these linemen are unnecessary. Appliances for accomplishing the same purpose-namely, to transfer automatically the hooks from one side to the other of the poleclamps have been devised before my invention; butthey have been unsatisfactory. One method of transferring has been by the use of what were called extension-clamps. These were employed temporarily while the cable was being strung, and there was necessitated thelabor of putting them into position for each length of cable installed and removing them again after the work was done. Another device fastens the strand to the clamp with solder. This is not a strong fastening and has the disadvantage also of requiring an extra set of appliancesto wit, soldering furnaces and tools either to fasten or unfasten the connection between clamp and strand.

It will be seen that the only outfit necessary to attach or detach the strand to my clamp is a wrench or pair of pliers, either of which can be easily carried and generally is carried by all linemen. The modification of the strap shown at B in Fig. 4 can be put in practice by making the clamp of malleable cast-iron, including in the same casting the strap which is brought around the strand E and fastened by the bolt h.

Vhile I have described a particular construction, I do not wish to be understood as limiting my patent to this construction only. It is obvious that in place of the strand E there might be used a supporting member either for lead-covered cables or other suspended bodies which it might be desired to inove over the supporting member or its fastenin g and that this supporting member could be of solid round iron or of other materials or in other shapes and that the strap around the supporting member and the outrigger might be fastened and tightened by a number of different mechanical devices.

An essential feature of this invention is the making of the strap 13 thin at its edges and thick at its center. The thickness at the center adds to the total cross-section of the strap, thereby increasing its mechanical strength. As itis thin at the edges, the hook as it passes the clamp rides over a smooth curve having a gradually inclined and declined surface which will admit of rapid passage Without jerks, strain, or displacement.

I claim- 1. In combination with a cable or wire for supporting electrical conductors, a clamp consisting of a base adapted to be fastened to a support; an outrigger adapted to sustain the supporting-cable; a strap which passes around the supporting cable and outrigger; and means for fastening and tightening the strap; whereby the said supporting-cable is firmly clamped to the outrigger.

2. In combination with a cable, or wire, for supporting electrical conductors, aclamp consisting of a base adapted to be fastened to a support; an outrigger adapted to sustain the supporting-cable; a strap made thin at its edges and thick at its center; and means for fastening and tightening the said strap around the outrigger and supporting-cable; whereby the latter is held firmly in position.

3. In combination with a cable or Wire for supporting electrical conductors, the clamp consisting of the base A, outrigger A, strap B, and nut- C, all substantially as herein set forth.

ISAAC J. CROWLEY. Witnesses:

RICHARD B. CARR, MARY F. LINCOLN. 

